This is a good question, and one that gets asked less than you might think. It being President’s Day, let’s go through the list since 1945 and see who comes out looking best. My report card may surprise you.
Harry Truman
I’m not a big fan. Truman allowed hawks in his administration, led by Dean Acheson (with Paul Nitze at his side) to escalate and militarize the Cold War, including moving forward with development of the hydrogen bomb, which kicked off the nuclear arms race.
